North Carolina delivered another gritty performance Tuesday night at the Smith Center, holding off Clemson 67–63 in a physical ACC battle that had major implications for next week’s conference tournament.
The win pushed the No. 17 Tar Heels into excellent position for a double-bye in the ACC Tournament and continued an impressive stretch of basketball despite the absence of standout freshman Caleb Wilson.
Much of that success has come from the emergence of players stepping into larger roles, none more so than Seth Trimble, playing some of the best basketball of his career, recently. The Tar Heels are now 5–1 without Wilson, including wins over two fellow NCAA Tournament teams.
Zayden High has also been critical in filling the void, bringing energy and toughness to match Clemson’s physical style.
The Tigers made sure nothing came easy, turning the matchup into a bruising half-court battle and hanging around deep into the second half.
Clemson struggled early from beyond the arc but found its rhythm when it mattered most and making it a game down the stretch.
Then, Luka Bogavac made Clemson pay. This became “the Luka game.”
Bogavac delivered the kind of performance UNC envisioned when he arrived in Chapel Hill, continuing a steady climb in production that has taken shape over the past several weeks.
With Carolina clinging to a narrow lead late, Bogavac buried three three-pointers in a two-and-a-half minute stretch, pushing the Tar Heels ahead 59–55 with just over four minutes remaining. He finished with 18 points and a season-high six three-pointers, another example of the growing confidence in his offensive game.
The numbers back up his impact: Carolina is now 8–0 this season when Bogavac scores 14 or more points.
Beyond the box score, the night carried historical and emotional weight. The Tar Heels finished the season 18–0 at the Smith Center, becoming the first team in program history to go undefeated at home.
The evening also included a special ceremony honoring RJ Davis, whose No. 4 jersey was officially raised to the rafters, adding another memorable moment to a night that celebrated Carolina’s past while reinforcing the resilience of its present.